The Taper Sessions
by Casa Circe
Summary: ZUTARA WEEK 2016, Day Seven: Candles. Aang attempts to heal the rift between Zuko and Katara by making them undergo an old Air Nomad exercise. They reluctantly agree but find the experience more uplifting than either of them expects.


**ZUTARA WEEK 2016, Day 7: CANDLES**

 _ **The Taper Sessions**_

 **DISCLAIMER** : _Avatar: the Last Airbender_ belongs to Bryke, but Zutara Week belongs to all Zutarians.

 **NOTE:**

 _And that's a wrap on Zutara Week 2016! I'm so glad I was able to participate for the ninth year in a row._

 _This was another tricky prompt to write for but I ended up pretty fond of the idea. I do think this would work better as a fanart or comic but I lack the artistic skills to pull that off. So I stuck with what I can do and hopefully the execution is all right. It gets a bit cheesy at times so I apologize for that._

 _While this was somewhat serious, it also became more lighthearted than I anticipated, which was fine._

 _This is set in the Western Air Temple and in a scenario where there is no Kataang and Maiko, just to keep things less complicated. It's a simple one-shot so there are no plans of continuing this._

 _Hope you like this!_

 _EDIT: Apparently, the whole story was not posted the first time and I deeply apologize. I posted the stuff very hastily and I was using a different computer so there was some great oversight there._

 _Again, apologies for the inconvenience. I've double-checked this time and the story is now posted properly._

 _Thank you for your understanding._

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

The whole thing was Aang's idea. And though Katara protested at first, the Avatar had the last word.

It was a simple enough exercise, and one that the Air Nomads sometimes used for conflict resolution and the diffusion of tension. Two people who were at odds with each other were forced to spend time together everyday for the span of time it took for a single candle to burn out completely. They could confront each other about their issues or sit in silence the whole time, it was their choice. All that mattered was that they would be in the same room together while the taper burned.

Though he had never had to undergo such an exercise himself, having gotten along well with everyone in the Air Temple, Aang saw this as a good opportunity to mend ties between Zuko and Katara. He wanted to avoid tension in his own team and he saw that Katara continued to resist the firebender's attempts to make peace.

So he explained the idea to them. He remembered this particular exercise after finding a stash of the ceremonial candles hidden away in one of the store rooms of the Western Air Temple. The candles were still intact and this was a perfect opportunity to use them.

Zuko was open to it and Katara was reluctant. But both of them did not want to disappoint Aang so they decided to give it a go.

A suitable room was chosen, and the first candle was lit.

"Remember, no cheating," Aang warned, looking at Zuko in particular, "no using your firebending to make the candle burn out faster."

Zuko nodded gravely.

"And Toph will know if either of you leaves this room before then," Aang added, "so just try and work things out between you. I'm sure you'll both feel better afterwards."

"I'm only doing this for your sake, Aang," Katara said.

"We'll see how it goes," the Avatar said cheerfully, before closing the door.

The two benders stared in silence at the candle, a long slim taper. After a few minutes, it did not seem to be reduced in size at all.

Katara sighed and sat down, glaring at her companion. Zuko looked at her eagerly but the waterbender was stubborn and she refused to speak to him.

"Katara, please," he said pleadingly, but she merely looked away.

"We have to talk sometime," Zuko continued.

"We only have to stay in the same room together while the candle burns," Katara replied tersely, "We don't have to talk."

Zuko sighed. This would not be easy.

But the candle lasted a long time and after what seemed like an hour, even Katara had grown weary of her silence. She stared at her companion, who was still waiting for her to respond to him. There was an echo in the room and she realized that her stomach was rumbling. With a sigh of resignation she spoke:

"Got anything to eat?"

Zuko stared at her in surprise and then, sheepishly shook his head.

"I suppose we should have prepared better for this," Zuko admitted.

They stared at the candle, which was only half used up.

"Well, we know what to do next time, at least," Katara remarked and Zuko was relieved that she was considering a next time.

"So…what do we do now?" the waterbender asked.

Zuko shrugged. "It's up to you. What would you like to talk about?"

Katara considered this for a moment. There were a number of topics to discuss but all seemed too controversial and only likely to make them both quarrel. And that was not how she wanted to spend the time.

"Tell me about your mother," she said simply.

And though it was a difficult subject, Zuko obliged and in that way, the first candle burned out but they continued talking. And they both emerged from the room tired and hungry, but also with a better understanding of each other.

The next days were easier. For one thing, they both brought snacks and it was sometimes the sharing of the food that made the time pass quickly. They both discovered that they had very similar tastes, not just in food but also in humor.

One day they decided that they would spend the session telling jokes, since the people in the group never seemed to appreciate their humor. They were so caught up in trying to remember punch lines that neither noticed the candle burning out.

Some days, they returned to more serious topics. One day, Zuko apologized again for what happened in Ba Sing Se and Katara expressed her anger and disappointment. But finally releasing all her negative feelings made her feel significantly lighter and she found it easy to tell him that she had forgiven him. Little did they know that on that day, they had stayed in the room long enough for two candles to burn out.

Another day, Katara asked about his scar and Zuko told her the whole story. She was horrified to learn the truth and again offered to heal it but he refused her gently. He told her to save the water from the Spirit Oasis for more important things. She had admired his attitude and was glad that he was able to confide in her.

The sessions became a habit that both of them came to enjoy, some time away from the rest of the group that gave them a chance to rest from the constant preparation for the war. They had gradually begun to enjoy each other's company and though this was new for them, they wanted to make the most of it. They talked about nothing and they talked about everything.

While the purpose of the sessions had already been achieved since they had been reconciled, Zuko and Katara still lit a candle every time they stayed in the room, if only out of habit. But they barely even noticed the glow of the candlelight anymore.

Eventually, the Avatar and his friends had to leave the Western Air Temple and the taper sessions came to an end. But somewhere in that ancient structure, there is a room with a ledge full of melted candle wax, evidence of the time two people had found peace and then begun to forge a deeper connection than either of them could have ever imagined.


End file.
